Stocking package



March 14, 1961 Filed March 21, 1958 W. D. TROTTER STOCKING PACKAGE INVENTOR Wilson D. Trotter FIG 3 51 u ATTORNEY United States Patent STOCKING PACKAGE Wilson 1). Trotter, 11 14 Cridland Road,

Greensboro, N.C.

Filed Mar. 21,1958, Ser. No. 722,990 3 chime. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to a stocking package and relates more particularly to a means for mounting "ice I pair. of knee-length hose suspended from the member with the foot portion of the hose foldedback and with the toe portion placed over the lower portion of the panel member;

Fig. 3 is a planview of the knee-length hose finally folded and enclosed within a transparent envelope; and

and supporting knee-length hose and also to provide a backing member for attractively displaying ladies kneelength hosiery.

Although full length hosiery of seamless and full-fashioned construction has received considerable attention in the packaging art, knee-length hosiery has been packaged for display and sale in a similar manner but without having the sales appeal of the full length "hosiery. Due to the shorter length and the elastic garter top customarily employed in knee-length hose, the standard packages are compacted into one end of a wrapper or envelope unless i the individual stockings are supported in somesuitable manner.

Therefore, the present invention contemplates the provision of a stocking package, particularly for knee-length hosiery, in which the individual stockings are supported separately at the open ends thereof.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a single panel of semi-rigid material having tabs thereon for receiving at least the garter portion of each of a pair of knee-length hose, in a slightly tensioned condition without buckling of the tab.

Still another objective of this invention is to provide a panel insert for attractively displaying the garter portion of the knee-length stock-ing while furnishing a sturdy support for an additional portion of the stocking beneath the garter portion.

Yet another objective of this inventive concept is to furnish a single. panel member in which hose-garter supporting tabs are hingedly connected to the panel for supporting a pair of knee-length stockings thereon.

A further objective of this invention is to furnish a panel display member for knee-length hosiery in which an appending tab will support a single stocking thereon in a slightly tensioned condition.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a panel display member in which hinged tabs are situated so that individual hose may be supported on opposite sides of the panel member for a substantial portion of the boot of the hose.

Still another objective of this invention is to provide Fig. 4 is a partial end view of the upper portion of the panel member illustrating the hose-garters of a pair of knee-length stockings mounted on the panel member tabs.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 there is shown a sheet panel member 10 formed of a fiat semi-rigid stock of substantially rectangular configuration with rounded corners 11. The material employed for the sheet panel member may vary considerably depending upon the quality of paper or cardboard employed as well as the finishes placed on the base material. Proximate the top edge 12 of the panel member is a tab 13 that is integrally formed out of the base panel member with the tab having stepped lobe portions 14 and 15. The lobe portion 14 is hingedly connected to the panel member along the score line 16 with the sides 17 and 18 together with the transversely reaching edge 19 being free from the panel member to pivot about the score line 16. The withwise extent of the stepped lobelS is such that it will support a garter band of a knee-length stock;-

ingthereon as will be 'more fully described hereinafter,

and the lobe 15-which is narrower than 1obe14 will provide the requisite shoulder or limit stop 20 against which the top of a garter band may be positioned.

Between the stepped lobes 14 and 15 there is a recess or indentation 21 which serves to lock the top edge of a garter band of a stocking into firm engagement with the tab.

Integrally formed with the panelsheet member 10 is a second hose supporting tab 22 which extends, when in the unfolded condition, from the top edge 12 of the panel member beyond the perforated line 23. Tab 22 is substantially similar to garter supporting tab 13 in that stepped lobes 24 and 25 are provided similar to lobes 14 and 15. However, while the widths of the stepped tabs 13 and 22 are substantially the same, the distance from the edge 12, serving as the hinged connection for the tab 22, to the shoulder 26 between the lobes 24 and 25, is greater than the distance from the score line 16 to the shoulder 21. The preferred objec tive is to have the edges 19 and 27 coincide substantially when the flap or tab 22 is folded over to lie in a plane parallel to the tab 13. Recesses or indentations 28 are also provided in tab 22 to lock the garter top edge of a hose in position on the tab.

In preparation of the hose package, individual kneelength stockings 30 and 31 are placed with the elastic garter tops 33 about the lower stepped portions of the tabs 13 and 22 with the top of the garters engaging the shoulder 20'or 26 of the upper portions of the tabs thereby permitting the recesses 21 and 28 to releasably lock the fabric in position. This locking action precludes facile removal of the individual hose unless the garter top is expanded initially prior to removal from the top or the tab may be folded to facilitate garter removal. The tab 22 is folded into the plane of the sheet degrees to a position parallel substantially to the tab 13. It will be apparent that the tabs are allochirally located with respect to each other and spaced apart by the distance between the score line 16 and the perforated line 23.

As willbe readily apparent the individual hose are positioned for an appreciable length on either side of the panel member. A first fold line 35 is formed at the ankle area of the pair of stockings mounted on the panel member with the toe portions 36 positioned on the panel over one of the hose. A second "transverse fold '37' is formed by placing the stockings within the perimeter of the panel member except that portion of the hose which extends along the bottom edge 38 of the panel.

The final package is formed by placing the folded hose supported on the panel member into a transparent or other suitable pliable envelope 40, which envelope is subsequently sealed to protect the contents therein. As will be evident from the' drawing; a substantial portion of at least one of the stockings may 'be viewed enabling a purchaser to determine the color of the hose and considering that two plies are presented rather than the conventional four plies that is customarily shown when a pair of stockings are folded in the usual manner.

Although'a'single embodiment of the present inventive concept has been disclosed and the stepped tabs are exhibited as beingra'ther' short in length, it will be apparent that the lobe portions and 25 may be extended further to provide an elongated insert into the calf of the stocking whenever desirable.

Obviously, many modifications and variations may be made to the panel member "and the individual tab memhere without departing from the basic inventive concept disclosed herein and modifications and variations in the panel member and the packageas well as the characteristics of the individu'altabs are contemplated.

' What is claimed is:

1. A knee-length hosiery package comprising a panel display'and'hosiery supporting m ember,'said member being of semi-rigid material and having integrally formed thereon in spaced relation to each ot'hera pair of tabs s me hingedly connected to lie in parallel planes, a pair of knee-length hose having elastic garter bands, each of said hose garter bands being supported on the tabs on opposite sides of the member with one of the tabs lying contiguous with the other tab, said hose being folded over the member and substantially within the area of the member, and an envelope enclosing said member and hose. i

- 2. A knee-length hose package comprising a partial insert and display panel member having integrally formed thereon a pair or hose insert tabs, a pair of knee-length hose each having a garter band portion, said garter band portion being individually receivable oneach of said hose insert tabs, anda transparent covering enveloping said hose and panel member.

3. A knee-length hose insert and display panel having integrally formed thereon a pair of allochirally related tabs having substantially identical configuration and plane area in spaced relation to each other to receive and support on said tabs 2. garter band for individual knee-length hose, said tabs being hingedly connected to the panel to lie contiguous to each other in a normally folded condition of one ofthe tabs, and in the unfolded condition one of said tabs projects longitudinallyfrom said panel andlies in the same plane therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I, l i 

